(WDNG) – A new policy on public information requests unifies the process but was met with hesitation from one council member. The Anniston City Council on Monday adopted a resolution that sets a guideline for requests for information made by the public.
The policy defines what records are publicly available, costs that can be incurred with certain requests, and provides distinctions between law enforcement documents and other city information. Council member David Reddick abstained from voting and said he wants more information to make sure the policy won’t hurt residents.
Anniston City Manager Brian Johnson told council members during Monday’s meeting that the policy is an industry standard. The Public Records Request Policy designates city contracts, minutes of council meetings, and the front of police incident reports, among other documents, as records available for public inspection. Documents related to pending litigation, sensitive personnel records, and law enforcement investigative reports are protected by state law from public inspection, according to a copy of the policy.
Council members discussed the policy for nearly 15 minutes before taking a vote. Council member David Reddick abstained from voting and told council members he did not want to fight the policy but wanted more information before casting a vote.
After the meeting, Reddick said he would have liked to see more discussion regarding what public records are openly available and what records would require a request submission. “I’d like to see several ways to submit [requests],” said Reddick.
The Public Records Request Policy unifies the request process through both city hall and the Anniston Police Department.